Kiki's Pride
by yumietokachika
Summary: Kiki and Tombo have since married and now have a son, Taka. She wants to keep him safe from harm, but little Taka dreams of leaving their dull home. One day, Taka leaves. What will he discover? And will he find what he's been searching for?
1. I A transition

**Disclaimer: **

Studio Ghibli is amazing and all. None of their works are ours. Oh man, where did our conjunction go?

**A/N: **

We are but fledglings, so please be constructive with any criticisms so that we may learn to jump off the balcony and fly. That weirdness aside, we hope you enjoy the read! Do R&R! Thank you!

**Background: **

Kiki and Tombo have since married and now have a son, Taka, who is nearing the age of 16. Having remembered the hard times she had to go through to find the perfect home, Kiki is insistent on keeping Taka safe at home and safe within sight.

* * *

This was all too wrong.

Why the hell was he stuck in the same place? All his friends had moved on – they _grew up_. Yet, there he was, bumming around in his parent's house, watching his father invent new ways of flying (though most inventions either self-destruct or refused to budge) and his mother deliver loaf after loaf of bread.

Taka wanted to explore the world, just like his mother did. He yearned for a place he could call home.

His home was also his jail. He was barred from going anywhere, and all because…

"_Taka, you must understand. The world is dangerous!" _

"_But Oka-san…"_

"_I only got to where I am today – where we are now – because of a stroke of luck. Do you understand? I am doing this for your own good!" _

She would never let him go, afraid that the burden of exploring the world would one day weigh down on Taka. But he was no longer a young child – his 16th birthday was near. His mother was just 13 when she left her house. Why couldn't she understand?

Taka cursed softly as he stood from his spot on the grass and brushed the dirt off his pants. Fists clenched in anger and frustration, he proceeded to walk home. Strangely enough, he was no longer angry with his mother, but rather with himself. Since young he had always been obedient and never once thought of rebelling. What right did he have to call himself a man?

It was no good. He couldn't stand up to his mother, no matter how determined he was. People told him that he inherited that trait from his mother – his neighbor, Osono-san, of all people, knew that the best, having been friends with the little witch since she first stepped foot into Koriko, the port city.

Nevertheless, he really wanted to leave. It wasn't because he didn't love his family, no he loved his parents with all his heart, but his life was so boring! Especially since all of his friends had gone away, in search of their own homes and their purpose in life, so to speak. Whereas for him, it just seemed as though he was fated to be stuck here, helping his mother pack bread and buying equipment for his father's inventions.

Oh no. That couldn't be what he was destined to do all his life right? Surely there were greater things waiting for him? His life couldn't be so meaningless… No. Taka halted, as the sudden rush of determination overwhelmed him and his heart started to race.

Tonight, he would leave. He was destined for something great, he was sure of it, and he would never know unless he took that leap of faith. However, how would his mother react? He couldn't tell her, surely, yet he couldn't just leave without saying anything for despite her suffocating habit of being over-protective, she loved him. His parents loved him, and him, them.

* * *

"What do I bring?" Taka grumbled as he rummaged his room for a luggage. He paused as he realized he didn't know where to begin. Who knew preparing for one life's journey could be such a headache. He felt lost; he didn't even know where to go! How was he going to get to… wherever he was going? What would he have to bring? Taka slumped onto his bed, screaming into the pillow in exasperation.

"Mother's broom!", Taka remembered abruptly.

He could use the broom his mother flew on to deliver bread! Although his mother forbade him to leave, she never denied him the pleasures of being a wizard, which included flying.

"Perfect", Taka beamed, but there was still the problem of not having a destination…

It took him only a minute to decide. He would go wherever the wind took him. It was his journey to find his purpose in life after all; he should just let fate guide him.

Of course if he were to fly, he couldn't possibly carry a lot of things, and a luggage was definitely out of the question. Most importantly, how was he going to break the news to his parents? To his mother? He couldn't tell them face-to-face, for his mother would surely object to it, and then most probably proceed to lock him in his room forever. Ugh. Taka abruptly got up from his bed, and searched for some paper and a pen. Writing a letter to them would be best, he thought.

It was a quarter past 1 at night, when Taka stealthily crept from his room. He was sure his parents were fast asleep by then. He tiptoe-d across the hall to retrieve his mother's broom, his brown satchel in his hand. Taka decided on bringing a large bottle of water, a decently large loaf of bread, some money, and a compass. Finally, with the broom in one hand, and his bag in the other, Taka silently went to his parents' room. The door was closed. Taka pressed his ear onto the door, it was quiet inside. Feeling a sudden wave of sadness overcome him, he carefully slipped his letter under the door. They would understand. His mother would understand.

When Taka left the house, he never once looked back, for he knew that if he did, he would never be able to move forward. This was the path he was going to take.

Taka slid the satchel down the tip of the broom and positioned it. He kicked the ground hard with his right foot, closed his eyes, and poured his thoughts into his broom. Surely he would miss home. But he was doing what was best for him. Taka held onto the broom more tightly and squeezed his eyes.

_Fly. _


	2. II Who goes there?

**Disclaimer status:**

**A/N: **

Hey! We're on a ROLL! Leave constructive criticism (if any) and we'll meet you at the end of the story.

Enjoy!

* * *

The wind was blowing harshly in one direction, and Taka did nothing to resist it. If by fate he was to be swept away, he would let it be so. As he grabbed onto his broom with one hand and satchel with the other, Taka felt his heart pounding faster and faster. Despite the unfavourable weather conditions, Taka started to feel a small smile forming on his face. That smile grew into a wide grin.

He was free at last!

He threw a punch in the air**- **almost throwing Taka off balance - signifying his freedom, and most importantly, his route to manhood. Taka would be led by an element of Mother Nature, and he was very sure that the wind would lead him along the right path.

As Taka was basking in his momentary freedom, he felt the wind stop blowing. The air around him became very still. Taka froze. What was going on? Now, he was hovering around in the sky, unsure of the direction he was headed to.

Taka hadn't planned for this to happen. When the wind stopped, so did his journey.

* * *

_In another world entirely, a sudden blackness enveloped the sky, and a spiraling hole of the darkest red burst open. It blasted a strong storm of wind, destroying everything it could reach into mere rubbles. Nothing was spared, buildings, trees, and houses were obliterated. Only a lucky few humans and animals survived, but they were sucked into the ominous swirl, forced to live life not of their own. Debris and corpses started littering the ground, as the hole began to close, and the wind gradually died down._

* * *

A sole broom carrying a lone boy sat in the sky, still and lifeless.

Suddenly, a flash from lightning cut across the sky. The whole ground began to vibrate ferociously below, uprooting trees and causing them to crash back onto the soiled earth. A hole cracked open above the boy, and a flash of bright light encompassed the sky, causing him to hold up his hands to shield his eyes from the blinding light.

A small black object came hurling out from the black hole, before it closed abruptly. The black ball crashed into the boy with a force that caused him to be thrust downward. Down he went, the force of gravity pulling and tugging on him, presumably meeting his death.

* * *

Taka snapped out of his confusion to hastily reposition himself onto the broom, fighting against the force of gravity, just before he came crashing onto the ground. He skidded across the pebbled earth, and rolled forward before finally coming into a halt.

He groaned as he pried his eyes open and attempted to lift himself up. His body and face were covered with scratches and bruises, and his whole body ached terribly. Taka scanned his surroundings to see where he had landed, and there lying in front of him a few feet away was the black ball that hit him. The ball seemed to be furry, but it was motionless and seemed to be lifeless. Taka stood up gingerly, wincing as he did so, and approached the black object cautiously. Upon closer inspection, the black ball turned out to be a crow. Taka reached out to touch it, but the bird remained unresponsive, save for the soft rising and falling of its chest, the only indication that it was still alive. The bird's right wing was twisted unnaturally at its side.

"It's injured," Taka realized, as he picked it up. He glanced around again, trying to think of what he could do. There, right in front of him, stood a house – no, it looked more like a castle - tall as the sky itself. He wondered why he hadn't seen it from where he was previously. He picked up his broom, and then began to walk towards the door of the castle. He wrapped his hand around the rusty, heavy door knocker and banged it against the wooden door a couple of times. No response. Taka tried again. He was about to walk away when the door creaked open.

A resounding thud came from the inside. Taka took a step back, startled by that sudden noise. The crow which had laid silently in his palms began to twitch.

A voice reverberated from inside the castle walls, "_who goes there: friend or foe_?"

* * *

**A/N: **

You're wondering why the story's starting off so slowly. I assure you, it just gets better from here. I'm sure you already know who the 'castle' belongs to. Glue your eyes to the computer screen to see what happens! (No I'm just joking, please don't do it.)


	3. III Taka, meet Sophie

"Uh... friend, Sir!" Taka's small voice quivered as he stood in front of the gloomy door. For a moment all was silent except for the eerie cracking of the leaves, and Taka wondered if the mysterious person had even heard him.

However before he could repeat his answer, the voice bellowed, "Boy... you know magic?"

Immediately Taka thought of his mother who had tried repeatedly to suppress his knowledge of that one skill: magic. Swallowing the uncomfortable lump that formed in his throat, Taka hesitated before replying, "... Does it matter?"

"I ask you again, do you know magic?" The stranger pressed on.

"What if I do?" Taka began to doubt whether the path he had chosen to take was the right one. After all, he didn't know what who he was facing up against.

"Magic isn't allowed in this house. Goodbye." The voice shot back coldly.

This brought up many questions in Taka's head. Why wasn't magic allowed? What _could _they do without magic? Never mind, there were plenty of places he could seek shelter from. Taka spun around and started to walk back in the direction he had come from.

In a matter of seconds, a loud noise resonated from that house. If not mistaken, what he heard was the sound of plates being hurled onto the ground. He turned his head only slightly, thinking that it was just simply internal arguments, possibly between husband and wife. He shrugged it off.

No later had he turned his back on the house that the door suddenly flung open. "I'm sorry for that, come in! Do come in!" A feminine voice rang out behind him.

Taka looked back, confused. From the previous conversation, he had expected someone more... masculine. But there, standing at the doorstep, stood a woman with a smile that contrasted starkly with the brooding exterior of the house, her long silver hair framing her perfectly oval face. She had a dirty apron on, and was wiping her hands on it.

"I... can come in?" Taka asked warily, "But I know magic."

The young woman laughed softly, "Yes! Of course! Forgive me for the confusion." To show her sincerity, she stepped aside and motioned for him to come in. Taka eyed her cautiously as he slowly stepped over the threshold.

"Howl is going to be so mad when he comes back." A voice called out from beside the lady. Taka jumped from the sudden noise, and searched his surroundings. There, beside the woman's feet was what seemed like a small burning flame on a log. But it was not an ordinary flame; it had eyes and a mouth. Now that was highly unusual...

"Oh Calcifer, you worry too much. He is but a young boy." The young woman replied, addressing the flame, which responded by sulking.

She smiled, "Don't mind him. He doesn't warm up to strangers too quickly."

"I'm Taka." He didn't know what else to say. It was the first time he had seen a talking flame.

"Well Taka, what brings you to our humble abode? Are you looking for anybody in particular?" she questioned him.

"_Humble abode? Yeah, right!_" Taka thought as he took in his magnificent surroundings. The floor was fully carpeted, with not a single speck of dirt on it. The walls were covered with the purest of gold, pictured frames hanging on every corner of the room. Taka squinted, taking a closer look at one of the pictures. It looked like a family portrait- the lady was positioned at the left corner. Beside her stood a young boy with brown hair and a gigantic, foolish grin. And further to the right stood a young man, whose blue hair sparkled like a gem. His eyes were focused not on the camera, but instead looked past the little boy, and whose gaze rested on the lady.

Taka quickly turned his attention back to the young woman when she repeated her question again, more firmly this time.

"I, uh, needed somewhere to rest for a while. I will be off soon, so please, just let me stay!" The string of words spilled out of his mouth, "…And your master must be powerful. Look at the size of this house!"

"Master?" The young lady cocked her head sideways and looked at him quizzically.

Taka nodded. "Yes, you serve this household, do you not?" Taka, upon seeing her dirty apron and her soot-ridden face, led himself to the conclusion that she was the domestic helper of this place.

The young lady didn't respond for a moment, and when the realization of what he had just said sunk in, a look of amused bewilderment formed on her face. And to Taka's embarrassment, she started laughing loudly. Finally after what seemed like minutes, the woman shook her head and grinned.

"I know why you might think that, but no. I am Sophie and the mistress of this house."

"Oh! Please forgive me!" Taka flushed with embarrassment. He made a huge first impression indeed; she couldn't possibly be willing to take him in now!

To his surprise Sophie merely laughed. 'Calcifer' followed suit and started to cackle, sending small sparks of fire flying across the floor and onto the lush carpets. "Calcifer!" Sophie exclaimed, somewhat frantically stomping on them before they could do any damage. "Stop that before you burn the whole house down!"

Taka watched as Calcifer quietened down, but not before throwing Sophie a spiteful glare.

"Anyway," Sophie began, causing Taka to snap his attention back to her. "Of course you can stay!" she smiled warmly, causing Taka to heave a sigh of relief.

"But what happened? Don't you have a home? Family? I mean you do seem rather young to be wandering along the streets alone. And Oh! Goodness! Is that your pet? He seems to be injured! We'd better attend to him, quickly!" the words seemed to be pouring out from her mouth endlessly, and before taka could even begin to process her sentences, she reached out for his hand, and that was when he realized he had been cradling the black bird earlier. He had been so preoccupied with his encounter that he had forgotten about it!

"Oh dear, he is badly injured, his right wing is broken and bleeding! What happened?" Sophie fretted as she gently laid the aforementioned bird on a large wooden table in what seemed like the dining room just to the side of the front door. She then rushed over to a cabinet in the corner and pulled out a medical kit.

"I don't know," Taka said softly, staring as Sophie expertly bandaged and placed a cast onto the bird's wing. "It's not mine actually- I was flying when something hit me and I fell to the ground. When I got up I saw it lying there, so I went to pick it up."

"Flying?" Sophie paused with her handiwork to look at Taka quizzically.

"I told you he is a wizard! He knows magic!" Calcifer exclaimed out of a sudden.

"You can fly? Is that your magical power?" Sophie continued, ignoring Calcifer completely, which caused the flame to grumble in frustration.

"Yes, on that broom." Taka nodded, pointing to the said broom, which was leaning against the doorway.

As Sophie opened her mouth to respond, Taka heard a voice – sweeter than anything he had ever heard, and as clear and distinct as it goes - from further within the house, "Mama, what's going on?"


End file.
